A layer of East meets a layer of West

OK so you’ve caught me in the act! Well, those who know me well know that it’s no secret that I do favor Indian spices, so it’s not unusual for me to throw in some pungent and aromatic spices in some of my non-Indian dishes. I do love all types of cuisines from around the world, and being a food blogger, I love to bring in some new and exciting dishes that not only benefit my Readers, but is also a great way to learn about other cultures and cuisines through this medium. East meets west is just a fusion of flavors bursting in your mouth.

One such dish I created last week was a take on Shepherds Pie, which is pretty popular in our home. But this time I tried a new approach. I cooked up some ground chicken with an Indian sauce that I prepared and topped it with some seasonal vegetables and a layer of mozzarella, parmesan and Italian seasonings. Ground chicken or turkey on its own is pretty bland, so to spice it up a bit, I usually add a ton of spices to make it more palatable.

In my mini food processor, I ground up some fresh cilantro, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, jalapeño and fresh turmeric (orange root) with some cumin powder, mild madras powder, fennel powder and vinegar. You can totally use whatever you feel like throwing in 🙂 I’ve started to use fresh turmeric in my cooking now. Fresh turmeric hails from the ginger family. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and has a ton of healing properties. It is also known to help calm acne and other scarring if used as a face mask, but I’m not about to try that 🙂

I sautéd the onion, green onion and green pepper till brown and cooked. I then added some fresh tomato and also some pureed tomato followed by the mixture from the mini food processor and let that cook for a bit, later I added the ground chicken breaking it up with a wooden spoon and let it simmer for a while to take in the juices and marry the flavors. At the same time, I chopped up some green zucchini and yellow squash and pan fried it for a bit with some oregano, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper.

When ready, I spread the spicy ground chicken in the bottom of a casserole dish, then layered it with the zucchini and squash, followed by some mozzarella cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese and some additional Italian seasonings.

There you have it. Doesn’t it look wonderful? I baked it in the oven just for a bit, then placed it under the broiler to get the burnt bits… just because I love burnt bits 🙂

In a saucepan, chop up the onion and sauté with some olive oil. When cooked, add the chopped tomato, green pepper, tomato and tomato puree. Add oregano and Italian seasonings and cook on a low flame to let the flavors meld.

Add the mixture from the food processor, let it cook for a while, now add the ground chicken and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for a bit till the ground chicken is cooked and fully incorporated.

Chop the zucchini and squash into rounds or vertical strips. Pan fry with a little olive oil, sprinkle some oregano and Italian seasonings.

Tumble out the contents of the pan into a casserole dish. Now add the pan fried vegetables, then top with mozzarella cheese and right at the end some grated parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for a few minutes on 350deg (maybe 10 minutes), then under the broiler for that crispy and burnt top.

22 Replies to “A layer of East meets a layer of West”

Loretta this dish is a marriage of such wonderful ingredients. You have come up with such a creative dish. This dish will create magic on both east & west palates. I love the use of both Indian spices & Italian seasons. You have achieved the perfect flavor balance which will take this dish to the next level. I am imagining a large serving on my plate & salivating. Have a wonderful weekend.

Isn’t it wonderful when you throw something together and it’s a huge hit in your kitchen? The combination of spices from the East and West truly hit the spot and elevated the flavor profile. Thanks for your sweet comments, you’ll definitely be rewarded with an extra large serving 😀

Oh yes Milady ! We share some common ideas as this is how my thinking very much works also 🙂 ! Shall try your creation as soon as possible ! I love fusion food and so often also bring East to the few West dishes I still cook (Well, living in Australia one should really call it Australasia these days !) The one matter which somewhat annoys me tho’ is people making their own version of a classic dish, adding ingredients and changing method . . . and then still calling it by the old name ! I like my gravlax and osso buco the way I met them a long time ago . . .

Lots of great ingredients – I have heard about the benefits of turmeric but rarely use it. I did an Indian post on South meets North so I love your name of East meets West! I think fusion recipes are the best. This is very different from my version but I do love your take on Shepherd’s Pie 🙂

This is my kinda food Loretta 🙂 Love the combination of spices and the colorful squash and zucchini! I am not surprised that Bert said it is your masterpiece!
Your photos are spectacular too. Such a perfect dish for the fall season!

Thanks so much Sandhya, a lot of your dishes are fusion too aren’t they? We are enjoying some excellent weather in the 80’s but not a leaf around that has changed color. I hope you’re enjoying the nice weather too.

Fusion in food is fun and tasty and your East meets West layers looks to be no exception. I’m loving the squash in there and thinking of making it with another layer using roasted eggplant. Thanks for sharing.